European Commission - Daily News

European Commission - Daily News

Daily News 20 / 03 / 2019
Brussels, 20 March 2019
COLLEGE MEETING: A Europe that Protects: 15 out of 22 Security Union legislative
initiatives agreed so far
The Commission is today reporting on progress made towards an effective and genuine Security
Union. Taking stock of the developments since the beginning of this year, the report notes that a
large number of priority files have been agreed – 15 out of 22 Security Union legislative initiatives
presented by the Commission. However, some of the key proposals, such as terrorist content online
and the European Border and Coast Guard, still require urgent action if they are to be closed before
the European Parliament elections in May 2019. On this final stretch before the elections, it is also of
utmost importance to redouble efforts to fight disinformation and boost electoral and digital
resilience. Commissioner for Migration, Home Affairs and Citizenship Dimitris Avramopoulos said:
"The developments in the last few days have shown once again that the terrorist threat is
multifaceted, global and not abating. We have made tangible progress towards building a genuine
and effective Security Union, with stronger rules on firearms, on criminalisation of the preparation
and acts of terrorism, and a new framework of interoperability for all our information systems. But we
cannot stop here. I urge the European Parliament and the Council to swiftly agree on rules to take
down terrorist content online, so we can better protect our citizens both from exposure to odious
terrorist content, but also from the overnight radicalisation risk of susceptible individuals."
Commissioner for the Security Union Julian King said: "We have strengthened our resilience against
terrorism and cyber threats. But the threats remain, and continue to evolve. And we need to keep
working. The terrible attack in Christchurch underlines again the need to close down terrorist content
online. And we have two months to reinforce the security around our European Parliament elections,
working with Member States, civil society and, crucially, the social media platforms." The full press
release and a factsheet are available online. (For more information: Natasha Bertaud – Tel.: +32 229
67456; Katarzyna Kolanko – Tel.: +32 229 63444)

Antitrust: Commission fines Google €1.49 billion for abusive practices in online advertising
The European Commission has fined Google €1.49 billion for breaching EU antitrust rules. Google has
abused its market dominance by imposing a number of restrictive clauses in contracts with third-
party websites which prevented Google's rivals from placing their search adverts on these websites.
Google's provision of online search advertising intermediation services to the most commercially
important publishers took place via agreements that were individually negotiated. The Commission
has reviewed hundreds of such agreements in the course of its investigation and found that: (i)
Google included exclusivity clauses in its contracts. This meant that publishers were prohibited from
placing any search adverts from competitors on their search results pages. (ii) Google gradually
replaced these exclusivity clauses with so-called “Premium Placement” clauses, which meant that
third-party websites had to take a minimum number of search ads from Google, and put them on the
most visible part of the page. (iii) Google also included clauses requiring publishers to seek written
approval from Google before making changes to the way in which any rival adverts were displayed.
Today's decision concludes thatGoogle is dominant in the market for online search advertising
intermediation in the EEA since at least 2006. The Commission finds that Google has abused this
market dominance by preventing rivals from competing in the online search advertising
intermediation market. Commissioner Margrethe Vestager, in charge of competition policy, said:
"Today the Commission has fined Google €1.49 billion for illegal misuse of its dominant position in
the market for the brokering of online search adverts. Google has cemented its dominance in online
search adverts and shielded itself from competitive pressure by imposing anti-competitive
contractual restrictions on third-party websites. This is illegal under EU antitrust rules. The
misconduct lasted over 10 years and denied other companies the possibility to compete on the
merits and to innovate - and consumers the benefits of competition.” The full press release is
available online. (For more information: Ricardo Cardoso – Tel.: +32 229 80100; Maria Tsoni - Tel.:
+32 229 90526)

Budget de l'UE pour 2021-2027: la Commission se félicite de l'accord provisoire sur
« Horizon Europe »
Ce matin, les institutions européennes sont parvenues à un accord politique partiel, sous réserve de
l'approbation formelle du Parlement européen et du Conseil, sur « Horizon Europe », le futur
programme de recherche et d'innovation de l'UE. Investir dans la recherche et l'innovation, c'est
investir dans l'avenir de l'Europe, dans la connaissance et dans de nouvelles solutions permettant de
maintenir le mode de vie des Européens et d'améliorer leur quotidien. C'est la raison pour laquelle la
Commission Juncker a fixé un nouveau niveau d'ambition pour approfondir la capacité d'innovation
de l'Europe, assurer une prospérité durable et préserver notre compétitivité mondiale. « Horizon
Europe », proposé par la Commission européenne en juin 2018 dans le cadre du budget à long terme
de l'UE pour la période 2021-2027, est le programme de recherche et d'innovation le plus ambitieux
jamais entrepris et il maintiendra l'UE à la pointe de la recherche et de l'innovation mondiales. Carlos
Moedas, commissaire européen en charge de la recherche, de la science et de l'innovation, a déclaré
à ce propos: « Je me félicite de cet accord, qui soutient résolument le nouveau Conseil européen de
l'innovation et nos agendas de recherche axés sur les missions. Nous sommes désormais sur la
bonne voie pour lancer, en 2021, le programme européen de recherche et d'innovation le plus
ambitieux jamais mis en œuvre, et qui préfigure une économie européenne forte, durable et
compétitive et bénéficiant à toutes les régions d'Europe. » « Horizon Europe » s'appuiera sur les
réalisations et les succès du programme actuel de recherche et d'innovation, Horizon 2020, et
comportera aussi des nouveautés, dont le Conseil européen de l'innovation, qui est déjà dans sa
phase pilote.Un communiqué de presse est disponible en lignedans toutes les langues officielles de
l'UE. (Pour plus d'informations: Lucía Caudet – Tél.: +32 229 56282; Mirna Talko – Tél.: +32 229
87278; Victoria von Hammerstein – Tél.: +32 229 55040)

Juncker Plan supports innovative businesses in Poland and manufacturing company in
Germany
The Investment Plan for Europe – or Juncker Plan – is backing a guarantee agreement in Poland
between the European Investment Bank (EIB) and Polish leasing company PKO Leasing. The
agreement, also backed by the Horizon 2020 programme, is set to generate €60 million of financing
for innovative entrepreneurs in Poland over the next two years. Commissioner for Research, Science
and Innovation Carlos Moedas said: “This agreement will provide Polish entrepreneurs with an
additional financial boost, supporting their efforts in creating jobs, growth and innovate. In Poland,
the Juncker Plan is already supporting more than 42,000 businesses and this agreement is further
evidence of this success.” In Germany, the Juncker Plan is backing a €50 million EIB loan to
manufacturing company Ensinger. This financing will enable Ensinger to invest further in research,
development and innovation in the field of high-tech engineering plastics manufacturing.
Commissioner Günther H. Oettinger, in charge of Budget and Human Resources, said: “This is yet
another example of how the EU budget – and the Juncker Plan in particular – delivers an added value
for the EU citizens. With today's decision, the EU creates a fresh opportunity for research and
innovation in Germany and in Europe, making sure that European companies have good chances to
grow, open more jobs and expand to new markets.” Press release are available here. As of February,
the Juncker Plan had already mobilised more than €380 billion in additional investment across
Europe, including €16.4 billion in Poland and €35.2 billion in Germany. (For more information:
Annika Breidthardt – Tel.: +32 229 56153; Sophie Dupin de Saint-Cyr – Tel.: +32 229 56169)

Union de l'énergie: 750 millions d'euros de fonds européens mis à disposition pour des
infrastructures pour des énergies propres
La Commission européenne débloque aujourd'hui un financement de 750 millions d'euros pour des
projets d'infrastructure énergétique clés en Europe et présentant d'importants avantages
transfrontaliers. Soutenir la construction des infrastructures nécessaires contribue aux priorités de la
politique énergétique de la Commission, qui consiste à améliorer la sécurité énergétique, tout en
offrant plus de choix aux consommateurs et en stimulant la croissance économique et la création
d'emplois. Les interconnexions sont également essentielles au développement des sources d'énergie
renouvelables et font de l'Europe le numéro un mondial des énergies renouvelables.Un réseau
européen entièrement interconnecté est l'un des prérequis essentiels à la réalisation de l'objectif
ultime de l'Union de l'énergie, c'est-à-dire de garantir une énergie sûre, abordable et durable pour
tous les européens, qui a été l'une des priorités politiques de la Commission Juncker tout au long de
son mandat. Miguel Arias Cañete, commissaire en charge de l'action pour le climat et de l'énergie, a
déclaré: « Le système énergétique européen passe rapidement d'un système énergétique du siècle

dernier à un système à faibles émissions de carbone, de plus en plus numérique et davantage axé
sur le consommateur. La transition énergétique est bien avancée en Europe, avec un niveau record
d'énergies renouvelables et une baisse rapide des coûts. Les infrastructures énergétiques
européennes doivent évoluer dans le même sens et au même rythme pour soutenir pleinement cette
transition énergétique vers une Europe neutre pour le climat. » Un communiqué de presse est
disponible en ligne. (Pour plus d'informations: Anna-Kaisa Itkonen - Tél.: +32 229 56186; Lynn
Rietdorf – Tél.: +32 229 74959)

Afghanistan: EU releases €27 million in humanitarian assistance
Today, the European Commission has announced €27 million in humanitarian assistance for people in
need in Afghanistan. €2 million will assist the most vulnerable families affected by devastating floods
in early March which continue to affect large parts of the country. “In Afghanistan civilians continue
to face the consequences of decades-long conflict and natural disasters. Our new funding will help
get emergency assistance to those most in need. I call on all sides of the conflict to abide by the
principles of International Humanitarian Law – civilians are not a target and access of humanitarian
aid to people of need must not be hindered. These conditions are crucial for delivering our
assistance. We are committed to continue our help to the people of Afghanistan as long as it takes,”
said Commissioner for Humanitarian Aid and Crisis Management Christos Stylianides. The new
funding will provide emergency assistance for the most vulnerable families across the country
affected by the conflict and by the drought, with a particular focus on those internally displaced, and
returning Afghan refugees. This includes providing food, emergency shelter, water and sanitation,
protection, and medical care for the victims of war. The EU will also continue to provide education for
children who have had to leave their schools. Read the full press release here. (For more information:
Carlos Martin Ruiz De Gordejuela – Tel.: +32 229 65322; Daniel Puglisi – Tel.: +32 229 69140)

Commissioner Mimica visits Argentina to promote triangular cooperation
Commissioner for International Cooperation and Development Neven Mimica is on an official visit to
Buenos Aires to promote innovative multilateral partnerships for sustainable development, in
particular triangular cooperation, and to discuss the EU's cooperation with Argentina. Commissioner
Mimica will attend the second high-level United Nations conference on South-South cooperation –
“BAPA+40”. He will also launch the dedicated programme for Argentina under the EU-UN global
Spotlight Initiative, which aims to eliminate violence against women and girls, and which will focus
on femicide. Combining efforts from the European Union, the United Nations and the Argentinian
Government, the programme will provide support to fill the legislative and policy gaps and will help
improve access to preventive and post-violence care, targeting groups most vulnerable to
discrimination. The EU will be contributing an initial €5 million to the overall Spotlight investment in
Argentina, which is expected to be in the order of €8 million in total. Commenting on his visit,
Commissioner Mimica said: "Triangular cooperation plays an increasingly important role in global
efforts to implement the Sustainable Development Goals by bringing in more resources and
expertise. Argentina remains a key partner for us in these efforts. We have significantly stepped up
our cooperation and policy dialogue over the past years and will continue to do so on a broad range
of issues; from climate change, to gender equality, to sustainable investments.” Read the full press
release here. (For more information: Carlos Martin Ruiz De Gordejuela – Tel.: +32 229 65322;
Christina Wunder – Tel.: +32 229 92256)

Startup Europe Summit 2019 will kick off tomorrow
The Startup Europe Summit 2019 will start tomorrow in Cluj-Napoca (Romania) bringing together
leading tech stakeholders and EU policymakers to discuss the future of an innovative Europe. As
follow-up of last year signature of the JointDeclaration Reinforcing the Central and Eastern European
and Western Balkans Technological Entrepreneurship Ecosystem, this year's edition will focus on
unlocking the potential of evolving startup systems. Mariya Gabriel, Commissioner for the Digital
Economy and Society, said “Startups are thriving everywhere in Europe nowadays, reminding us how
important they are for the economic growth of our countries. We need to continue to be active and
learn from good practices and from the challenges. This is the objective of the Summit – to discuss
how to create the right conditions for start-ups to flourish in Europe and to show the potential of the
Central and Eastern European region and of the Western Balkans.” During the event, Commissioner
Gabriel will also present the award to the winner of the Horizon prize for zero power water
monitoring. The prize worth €2 million, funded by Horizon 2020, the EU's research and innovation
programme, will be awarded to the most innovative proposals for maximising energy efficiency in
smart sensors used in water resources management. Carlos Moedas, Commissioner for Research,

Science and Innovation added: "There is so much untapped potential on the European startup scene
and this Horizon prize is a good example of how we help our talented innovators turn big dreams into
successful businesses. With such prizes and the European Innovation Council going ahead with a €2
billion pilot for disruptive and breakthrough innovators over the next couple of years, we are ready to
help European entrepreneurs take it to the next level!" More information on the Startup Summit. (For
more information: Nathalie Vandystadt – Tel.: +32 229 67083 – Marietta Grammenou- Tel.: +32
229 83583)

European Commission presents its achievements on combatting racism, xenophobia and
discrimination
Ahead of the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, European Commissioner
for Justice, Consumers and Gender Equality, Věra Jourová, will present a report giving an overview
of the Commission's actions to counter racism, xenophobia and discrimination in the EU during this
mandate, as well as the remaining challenges in these areas. On this occasion, she said:
“Discrimination, hate crime and speech, racist and xenophobic narratives, in particular online, are not
only illegal but they polarise our societies and question our European values. We need to continue to
fight these dangerous trends together, be it online or offline.” The Commission worked with Member
State authorities, civil society and EU agencies to step up implementation of EU law in this field.
Under the Rights Equality and Citizenship Programme, the European Commission awarded 12 million
euros annually for projects across the European Union in this field. Commission actions include
amongst others the setting up of the Code of Conduct countering illegal hate speech in 2016, a
Recommendation on standards for equality bodies, the nomination of the two coordinators on
combating Antisemitism and Anti-Muslim hatred and the implementation of the European Framework
of National Roma Integration Strategies. Today, Commissioner Jourová will address an event in the
European Parliament, bringing together a wide range of MEPs, key actors and stakeholders as well as
members of the High Level Group on Racism and Xenophobia and the High Level Group on Non-
Discrimination. The full report on Countering racism and xenophobia in the EU is available online, as
well and information on what the European Commission does to combat racism and xenophobia. (For
more information: Christian Wigand – Tel.: +32 229 62253; Mélanie Voin – Tel.: +32 229 58659)

Eurostat : Un tiers du commerce de l'UE effectué avec les États-Unis et la Chine, le
commerce intra-UE domine largement
En 2018, les États-Unis (674 milliards d'euros, soit 17,1% du total du commerce de biens extra-UE,
c'est-à-dire le total des exportations et des importations) et la Chine (605 milliards d'euros, soit
15,4%) sont restés les deux principaux partenaires commerciaux de l'Union européenne (UE), loin
devant la Suisse (265 milliards d'euros, soit 6,7%), la Russie (254 milliards d'euros, soit 6,4%), la
Turquie (153 milliards d'euros, soit 3,9%) et le Japon (135 milliards d'euros, soit 3,4%). Un
communiqué de presse est disponible en ligne. (Pour plus d'informations: Daniel Rosario – Tél.: +32
229 56185; Kinga Malinowska – Tél: +32 229 51383)

STATEMENTS

Code of practice against disinformation: Commission takes note of the progress made by
online platforms and urges them to step up their efforts
Today the European Commission published the latest monthly reports from Google, Twitter, and
Facebook, on the progress made in February towards meeting their commitments to fight
disinformation. The online platforms are all signatories of the Code of Practice against disinformation
and have committed to report their progress in the run up to the European Parliament elections in
May 2019. The publication of the monthly reports follows a meeting yesterday afternoon between the
Commission and the platforms to discuss the state of play. Vice-President for the Digital Single
Market Andrus Ansip, Commissioner for Justice, Consumers and Gender Equality Věra Jourová,
Commissioner for the Security Union Julian King, and Commissioner for the Digital Economy and
Society Mariya Gabriel said in a joint statement: "Yesterday's meeting and the reports published
today show that online platforms are making progress. We had good discussions with them about
how they can further improve the ongoing monthly reporting requested in the Action Plan against

Disinformation. Such monthly progress is needed to ensure the transparency during the election
campaign. We take note of the progress described in the February reports in a number of areas.
However, further efforts are needed by all signatories in key areas." You can read the full statement
here and the online platforms reports here. (For more information: Nathalie Vandystadt – Tel.: +32
229 67083; Marietta Grammenou- Tel.: +32 229 83583)

ANNOUNCEMENTS

Commission is hosting high-level conference on a global approach to sustainable finance
Vice-President Valdis Dombrovskis will host tomorrow the second high-level conference on
sustainable finance with the objective to encourage a global approach towards mobilising private
capital to fund the transition to a climate-neutral economy. After the successful first high-level
conference on sustainable finance one year ago, tomorrow's event will be an opportunity to take
sustainable finance to the next level by bringing together various countries from across the globe
and initiatives on the ground. This is also part of the Capital Markets Union's (CMU) efforts to connect
finance with the specific needs of the European economy thereby contributing to the EU's sustainable
and carbon-neutral agenda. Vice-President Valdis Dombrovskis,responsible for Financial Stability,
Financial Services and Capital Markets Union, said: "The European Union will stand by its
commitments made under the Paris agreement. As part of this agenda, the EU was an early mover
on sustainable finance by recognising that boosting private capital is essential for supporting the
transition towards a climate-neutral and sustainable economy. By now, other countries have made
substantial progress in this area. It is time for us to join forces and make sustainable finance go
global". Financial markets are global and interconnected and so are the challenges to deliver on the
Climate Action and Sustainable Development Goals. Tomorrow's conference will be an occasion to
stimulate the dialogue between the different market players and leading jurisdictions on how to close
the global annual investment gap of €6.2 trillion to limit global warming below 2 degrees. Key
speakers include Commission Vice-President Valdis Dombrovskis; President Werner Hoyer of the
European Investment Bank; Vice-President Cyril Muller of the World Bank; Vice-President Pierre
Heilbronn of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development; Subhash Chandra Garg,
Economic Affairs and Finance Secretary of India; Minister of Economy and Finance of the Kingdom of
Morocco, Mohamed Benchaâboun; Minister of Finance of Finland, Petteri Orpo; the Governor of the
Bank of England Mark Carney; the Deputy Governor of the Banque de France Sylvie Goulard; and
Joachim Wuermeling, Member of the Executive Board of the Deutsche Bundesbank. The event also
marks the first anniversary of the EU Action Plan on Financing Sustainable Growth, presented by the
Commission in March 2018. The full programme is available here. The conference will be live-
streamed. (For more information: Johannes Bahrke – Tel.: +32 229 58615; Letizia Lupini – Tel.: +32
229 51958)

Commissioner Avramopoulos in Cyprus
Tomorrow, Commissioner for Migration, Home Affairs and Citizenship Dimitris Avramopoulos will be
in Nicosia, Cyprus to take part in a Citizens' Dialogue on “Migration and Security: the challenges
facing Europe”. The event will take place at the University of Cyprus, University House Building
"Anastasios G. Leventis” at 10:30 (EET) and will be livestreamed on Facebook. Simultaneous
interpretation in Greek, English and Turkish will be provided. Commissioner Avramopoulos will then
meet with Constantinos Petrides, Minister for the Interior and Ionas Nicolaou, Minister for Justice and
Public Order. Discussions will focus on migration and security cooperation. A press point will be
broadcast on EbS. (For more information: Natasha Bertaud – Tel.: +32 229 67456; Markus Lammert
– Tel.: +32 229 80423)

Commissioner Navracsics travels to Croatia for international education conference
Commissioner for Education, Culture, Youth and Sport, Tibor Navracsics, will be in Zagreb, Croatia,
tomorrow, where he will deliver the opening speech at an international conference on talent
education titled: “The best worldwide, European and Croatian practices in working with gifted
children and youth”. Ahead of the event, Commissioner Navracsics said: "All those involved in
education have a role to play in nurturing the talent of each and every child, helping them discover
what they are good at and find their place. This is a question of fairness, and of making sure Europe

taps into its most precious resource – its people and their talents – as it tackles the big challenges
facing our society." (For more information: Nathalie Vandystadt – Tel.: +32 229 67083; Marietta
Grammenou- Tel.: +32 229 83583)

Upcoming events of the European Commission (ex-Top News)
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